US Finally Attacks al-Qaeda's Waziristan Safe Haven

U.S. ground forces crossed the border from Afghanistan and attacked suspected al-Qaeda targets in Pakistan on Wednesday as part of an aggressive new strategy to kill or capture Osama bin Laden before President Bush leaves office, U.S. officials said. "I know the hunt is on; they're pulling out all the stops," said a Defense Department official with knowledge of the situation. "They want to find bin Laden before the president leaves office and ensure that al-Qaeda will not attack the U.S. during the upcoming elections." The attack, mounted by U.S. commandos backed by helicopter gunships, took place in South Waziristan, a tribal area that has become a safe haven for al-Qaeda and Taliban militants. Bin Laden and his No. 2, Ayman al-Zawahri, are thought to be hiding there. The Pakistani Foreign Ministry called the raid "a grave provocation" and "a gross violation of Pakistan's territory."